EXCHANGE 


*A\  39  1922 

UNIVERSITY  OF 

SOUTHERN    CALIFORNIA 

BULLETIN 

AUGUST  1919 


SOME  HOT  SPRINGS 
OF  SOUTHERN  CALIFORNIA 

Bs 

GILBERT  ELLIS  BAILEY,  A.M.,  PH.D. 

Professor  of  Geology 
University  of  Southern  California 


SOME  HOT  SPRINGS 

OF  .... 

SOUTHERN  CALIFORNIA 

Their  Origin  and  Classification 


BY 


GILBERT  ELLIS  BAILEY,  A.M.,  PH.D. 

Professor  of  Geology 
University  of  Southern  California 


1919 

UNIVERSITY  OF  SOUTHERN  CALIFORNIA  PRESS 
LOS  ANGELES 


ARROWHEAD  MOUNTAIN 

The  Fault  Belt  crosses  the  flat  ground  between  the  Arrowhead  Hotel  and  the]natural 
Arrowhead  on  the  Mountain 


SOME  HOT  SPRINGS  OF  SOUTHERN 
CALIFORNIA 

Their  Origin  and  Classification 

California  has  more  mineral  springs  of  commercial  value  than 
any  other  equal  area  in  the  world. 

They  are  one  of  the  greatest  assets  of  the  State.  Many  of 
them  are  just  as  valuable  as  the  most  noted  Spas  in  Europe. 
Some  of  them  have  such  a  special  value  that  they  should  be 
taken  over  by  the  Government  so  that  their  benefits  could  be  en- 
joyed by  the  masses  instead  of  by  the  wealthy  only. 

Now  is  the  time  to  let  the  world  know  the  facts  about  these 
springs,  for  travel  to  the  Spas  of  foreign  lands  will  be  restricted 
for  some  years  to  come,  and  the  tide  may  and  should  be  turned 
this  way. 

Fault  Lines  and  Hot  Springs  Related.  An  examination  of 
a  map  that  shows  both  the  fault  lines  and  the  hot  springs  brings 
out  clearly  the  fact  that  the  two  are  related. 

California  mountains  in  general  are  the  result  of  crustal  move- 
ments. Many  individual  ranges  are  the  result  of  local  uplift, 
and  the  basin  type  of  valley  is  also  very  common. 

The  faults,  or  fissures,  have  great  depth  as  compared  to  their 
width;  they  are  very  persistent,  often  being  traced  for  miles  on 
the  surface;  and  they  cut  across  formations  of  all  kinds,  and 
displace  strata. 

A  Fault  Belt  800  Miles  Long.  A  great  structural  fault  belt 
starts  at  Tejon  Pass  and  runs  in  a  straight  line  to  San  Francisco, 
thence  is  follows  the  coast  to  Cape  Mendocino  where  it  disap- 
pears under  the  ocean.  This  is  known  as  the  ANDREAS 
FA  ULT  line  or  belt ;  and  it  is  the  one  that  caused  the  San  Fran- 
cisco earthquake  in  1906.  Starting  again  at  Tejon  Pass  this 
same  fault  belt  has  been  followed  southeast  across  the  Antelope 
Valley  to  the  Sierra  Madre  Range.  It  follows  the  north  side 
of  this  range  to  Cajon  Pass.  It  forms  that  Pass,  and  gives  a 
channel  to  Lytle  Creek.  At  the  lower  end  of  the  Pass  the  fault 
runs  at  the  base  of  the  San  Bernardino  Range,  past  Arrowhead 
Hot  Springs,  and  on  to  San  Gorgonio  Pass;  and  thence  on  to 


4  University  of  ^Southern  California  Bulletin 

Salton  Sea.  This  Andreas-Cajon  Fault  has  been  traced  and 
mapped  for  a  distance  of  nearly  800  miles.  It  has  been  the 
scene  of  several  local  earthquakes  along  the  line  in  the  last  150 
years. 

The  great  Sierra  fault  line  starts  also  at  Tejon  Pass  and 
follows  the  eastern  base  of  the  Sierra  Nevadas  from  Kern 
county  to  Inyo,  and  thence  to  Plumas  county. 

The  Cascade  Range,  the  Klamath  Range,  and  Mount  Lassen 
all  have  shorter  fault  lines. 

Each  major  fault  is  accompanied  by  minor  faults  that  are 
generally  parallel  to  the  main  fault. 

Hot  Springs  Are  Related  to  the  Faults.  The  Hot  Springs 
of  the  southern  part  of  the  State  lay  between  the  Andreas-Cajon 
fault  and  the  ocean.  North  of  Santa  Cruz  county  they  lie  east 
of  the  Andreas  fault.  A  belt  of  hot  springs  accompanies  the 
Sierra  fault  from  Inyo  to  Plumias  county.  The  north  end  of  the 
State  has  hot  springs  along  local  fault  lines.  A  very  few  hot 
springs  are  found  outside  of  the  belts  mentioned,  and  then  only 
on  or  near  local  fault  lines.  (See  Plate  1). 

An  Important  Fact.  If  the  waters  rise  from  a  fault  belt  that 
is  a  marked  feature  in  the  geologic  history  and  mountain  build- 
ing of  California,  that  fact  is  of  commercial  importance,  as: 

A.  If   the    fault,    or    fissure,   is   in   granite   or   other   igneous 
rock : — 

1.  It  may  be  miles  in  depth,  and  the  waters  may  be  Juvenile 
waters   that    see   the   light   of   day   for  the   first  time   in  untold 
centuries. 

2.  That  the  water  supply  comes  from  the  depths  of  the  earth 
and  is  not  dependent  upon  nor  affected  by  the  rainfall  of  the 
region. 

3.  That  the  water  is  very  liable  to  be  radio-active. 

4.  That  the  waters  are  liable  to  contain  rare  and  beneficial 
elements  not  found  in  vadose  waters. 

B.  If  the  waters  start  upward  from  a  fault,  but  pass  later  on 
through  sedimentary  rocks;  then  the  waters  will  show  that  fact 
and  be  charged  more  or  less  with  the  minerals  from,  the  sedi- 
ments. 

C.  If  the  waters  become  mixed  with  ground  waters,  the  flow 
is  affected  by  local  rainfall;  and  the  value  of  the  waters  may  be 
injured,  or  lessened  in  value. 

Juvenile  Waters.  Modern  investigation,  especially  in  Eu- 
rope, into  the  waters  of  metaliferous  veins,  volcanic  waters, 
magmatic  waters,  and  the  waters  of  prominent  Spas  like  Carls- 
bad, has  led  to  the  discrimination  between  waters  of  superficial 


Hot  Springs  of  Southern  California  5 

origin  (yadose  waters),  and  those  of  deep-seated  origin  or 
juvenile  waters. 

The  magmatic  waters  are  carriers  of  metallic  salts  by  which 
certain  mjtal  bearing  faults  (veins)  are  filled;  and  the  contents 
of  such  veins  are  notable  for  the  absence  of  oxidized  products 
except  in  the  upper  part  near  the  surface. 

Granite  heated  in  vacuo  gives  off  water  and  gases  identical 
with  volcanic  gases.  Refined  analysis  of  igneous  rocks  show 
that  they  contain  the  rare  elements  as — titanium,  zirconium, 
strontium,  chromium,  lithium,  thorium,  boron  and  others. 

Suess  has  shown  that  the  hot  springs  of  Carlsbad  issue  from 
the  fundamental  magma  itself  and  bring  veritable  additions  to 
hydrosphere. 

The  geologic  evidence  is  strong  that  many  of  the  springs  of 
California  are  fed  by  magmatic  waters.  It  would  be  "good  ad- 
vertising" to  thoroughly  demonstrate  this  fact.  It  would  "pay" 
to  prove  beyond  question  that  the  springs  here  are  quite  as 
unique  in  their  origin  as  the  most  celebrated  one  abroad. 

Identifying  Juvenile  Waters.  The  Juvenile,  or  virgin 
waters,  may  be  identified  by  several  characteristic  features. 
They  are: 

1.  Constant  in  composition  from  year  to  year. 

2.  They  are  constant  in  concentration  from  year  to  year. 

3.  They  are  constant  in  rate  of  flow  from  year  to  year  and 
are  unaffected  by  local  rainfall. 

4.  They  contain  certain  elements   that  are  known   as  "deep 
minerals,"  and  volcanic  emanations  as : — arsenic,  boron,  nitrogen, 
sulphides,   hydrocarbons,   rare  metals  and   others. 

5.  They  are  thermal ;  and  constant  in  temperature. 

6.  They  often  show  increased  flow   (or  the  reverse)   at  the 
time  of  local  earthquakes. 

7.  They  often  show  an  increase  in  temperature  at  the  time  of 
local  earthquakes. 

Temperature  and  pressure  work  together.  The  temperature 
is  of  great  importance  in  waters  that  contain  gases.  A  high 
temperature  alone  may  be  the  result  of  local  chemical  reactions ; 
but  temperature  and  pressure  combined  with  fault  lines  and 
igneous  rock  point  to  the  existence  of  juvenile  waters. 

Vadose  Waters,  or  superficial  waters  sinking  into  the 
ground  from  rainfall,  fluctuate  in  composition,  concentration, 
rate  of  flow,  temperature;  and  contain  as  a  rule  sulphates, 
chlorides,  and  carbonates  of  lime  and  magnesia. 

Intermediate  Waters.  These  may  represent  the  mixture  o* 
vadose  water  with  juvenile  water. 


6  University  of  Southern  California  Bulletin 

The  Cajon  Fault  Zone.  This  belt  or  zone,  of  parallel  faults 
affords  an  excellent  opportunity  to  study  the  origin  of  the  hot 
springs.  After  passing  along  the  north  edge  of  the  Sierra  Madre 
it  forms  Cajon  Pass.  At  the  south  end  of  this  Pass  the  fault 
belt  divides  into  three  parts;  (1)  The  main  fault  line;  (2)  the 
San  Jacinto  Fault ;  (3)  the  Elsinore  Fault ;  and  each  is  accom- 
panied by  groups  of  hot  springs. 

The  Main  Fault.  The  famous  Arrowhead  Hot  Springs  are 
on  the  main  Cajon  fault,  near  the  base  of  the  San  Bernardino 
range,* and  a  few  miles  east  of  the  mouth  of  Cajon  Pass.  Over 
100  springs  are  known  in  the  "Hot  Belt"  which  extends  from 
the  Hotel  beneath  the  Arrowhead,  to  Waterman  Canyon  on  the 
west,  a  distance  of  about  a  mile.  The  "belt"  is  as  wide  and 
nearly  twice  as  long  as  the  famous  "strip"  at  the  Arkansas  Hot 
Springs.  The  formation  is  granodiorite  and  gneissoid  rocks, 
with  some  diorite  porphyry.  The  "Caves"  at  the  west  end  in 
Waterman  Canyon  are  in  the  conglomerate  rock  that  overlies 
the  gneissoid  rock.  The  natural  steam  and  the  hot  waters  rise 
through  this  boulder  conglomerate,  filling  the  caves.  Penyugal 
Springs  flow  from  a  fissure  in  the  granite  in  Hot  Water  Canyon, 
near  the  east  end  of  the  "belt,"  and  has  a  temperature  of  202  F. 
Going  east  from  Arrowhead  the  Cajon  fault  forms  the  San  Gor- 
gonio  Pass  and  runs  along  the  north  side  of  the  San  Jacinto 
range  to  Salton  Sea.  At  the  northern  base  of  San  Jacinto  Range 
is  Palm,  Springs  (Aguas  Calientes  of  the  Indians).  It  issues 
from  the  granite  wash  of  the  valley,  at  a  point  nearly  150  feet 
below  sea  level.  The  temperature  of  the  springs  is  a  little  over 
100  F.  Southeast  of  Palm  Springs  on  the  course  of  the  same 
fault  are  the  Mud  Volcanoes  on  the  east  side  of  the  Salton  Sea. 
These  are  hot  springs  that  build  cones  of  the  blue  mud,  and 
deposit  some  sulphur.  The  temperature  is  about  190  F.  There 
are  three  other  minor  springs  on  the  Cajon  Fault  but  I  have  not 
visited  them  and  have  no  accurate  data. 

The  San  Jacinto  Fault.  This  fault  branches  from  the  Cajon 
at  the  mouth  of  Lytle  Creek  and  runs  south  to  Bunker  Hill  near 
San  Bernardino,  there  it  turns  and  runs  nearly  parallel  to  the 
major  fault  in  the  direction  of  the  towns  of  San  Jacinto  and 
Hemet.  The  Eden  Hot  Springs  are  on  this  fault.  They  issue 
from  granite  and  have  a  temperature  of  110  F.  The  Tertiary 
shales  and  sandstone  of  the  "Bad  Lands"  outcrop  close  to  these 
springs  but  the  waters  are  not  affected  by  them.  The  San  Jacin- 
to Hot  Springs  (Relief  Hot  Springs)  are  about  six  miles  east 
of  Eden.  Here,  half  a  dozen  springs  issue  from  the  granitic 
alluvium  ;  the  Ritchey  Hot  Springs  are  about  five  miles  farther 
on,  at  the  base  of  the  range.  They  are  in  gneiss  and  have  a 
temperature  of  82.  F. 


Hot  Springs  of  Southern  California  7 

Wells.  Between  the  Cajon  and  the  San  Jacinto  fault  lies 
the  San  Bernardino  Valleyr  In  this  valley  thermal  waters  have 
been  found  in  a  number  of  wells  drilled  into  the  alluvium.  Har- 
lem Hot  Springs  and  Urbita  Hot  Springs  are  examples;  the 
temperature  ranging  from  106  to  90  F.  The  abundance  of  the 
thermal  waters  in  the  valley  filling  can  only  be  explained  as  com- 
ing from  a  common  source,  namely  the  fault  lines. 

Elsinore  Fault  Line.  The  Elsinore  fault  is  nearly  parallel 
to  the  San  Jacinto  fault.  It  runs  through  Elsinore  Lake  and 
north  to  the  Temescal  Canyon,  and  south  to  Murietta.  The 
Glen  Ivy  Hot  Springs  are  in  Granite  porphyry,  and  have  a 
temperature  of  102  F.  At  Elsinore,  wells  have  been  drilled  in 
the  aluvium  where  the  fault  line  leaves  the  lake  and  obtain 
water  having  a  temperature  of  112  F.  At  Murietta,  hot  springs 
rise  in  granitic  gravel  covered  by  Quaternary  gravels,  and  have 
a  temperature  of  136  F.  The  Warner  Hot  Springs  flow  from 
half  a  dozen  vents  in  the  granite,  and  have  a  temperature  of 
139  F. 


Are  Any  of  the  Waters  Juvenile?    What  is  the  evidence? 

First— RATE  OF  FLOW.  The  records  of  the  rainfall  have 
been  kept  for  many  years  at  San  Bernardino,  San  Jacinto,  Elsi- 
nore, Warner  and  other  places  in  the  area  covered  by  this  paper. 

The  variations  are  from  heavy  to  light  rainfall  in  the  different 
years.  If  one  draws  curves  showing  the  precipitation  from 
month  to  month  and  from  year  to  year ;  and  plats  the  flow  of  the 
springs  for  the  same  time;  it  is  at  once  evident  that  there  is  no 
connection  between  the  two  in  the  case  of  Arrowhead,  San 
Jacinto,  Palm,  Warner,  and  the  Mud  Volcanoes.  Here  the  rate 
of  flow  is  unaffected  by  the  precipitation  so  far  as  one  can  see 
from  the  records.  The  flow  from  the  hot  springs  has  been 
uniform  and  constant,  with  no  period  of  increase  or  decrease. 
This  is  in  marked  contrast  to  the  cold  water  springs  of  the 
region.  At  Penyugal  a  cold  spring  flows  side  by  side  with  the 
hot  waters  for  a  ways,  giving  opportunity  for  direct  comparison. 

Each  of  the  hot  springs  of  the  area  have  been  affected  by  the 
earthquakes  that  have  caused  this  region  to  tremble  at  various 
times  in  the  last  150  years;  some  of  them  in  the  last  50  years. 
The  furious  boiling  of  the  mud  springs  at  Arrowhead  in  1812 
"the  year  of  the  earthquakes"  or  "El  ano  de  las  Temblores"  as 
the  Spaniards  called  it;  and  the  Mud  Volcanoes  at  Salton  Sea 
are  matters  of  record.  The  flow  however  has  not  been  markedly 
affected  except  an  increase  during  the  period  of  the  quake,  and 
p.fter  that  it  was  normal  again.  This  can  only  mean  deep-seated 


8  University  of  Southern  California  Bulletin 

waters  that  have  their  origin  in  the  depths,  miles  below  the  sur- 
face. 

Where  the  waters  rise  through  alluvium  or  sedimentary  rocks, 
or  through  pipes  sunk  into  the  alluvium  of  the  Valley,  there  is 
a  fluctuation  naturally.  In  such  cases  while  the  waters  may 
come  from  fissures  buried  beneath  the  alluvium,  and  the  hot 
•waters  follow  openings  in  the  valley  filling,  they  must  necessarily 
mingle  with  the  waters  of  the  rainfall. 

Second— CONSTANT  IN  CONCENTRATION.  Here  we 
are  hampered  by  the  fact  that  only  "commercial"  analyses  are 
available  for  most  of  the  hot  springs.  However,  good  analys.es 
of  Arrowhead  Hot  Springs  extend  back  to  Lieutenant  Wheeler's 
Report,  U.  S.  A.,  in  1876.  There  have  been  many  since  that  time 
both  by  individuals  and  by  the  Government.  These  Springs  are 
also  unique  in  the  fact  that  they  are  the  only  hot  springs  ever 
analyzed  by  the  French  Government ;  and  that  was  on  account 
of  the  reported  arsenic  present.  These  records  show  no  marked 
changes  in  the  amounts  and  nature  of  the  salts  present ;  but  on 
the  contrary  they  are  remarkably  uniform  when  we  take  into  ac- 
count the  advances  that  have  been  made  in  methods  of  analysis 
in  that  time. 

The  deposits  at  the  Mud  Volcanoes  at  Salton  Sea  of  blue  mud, 
and  of  sulphur,  show  no  changes  for  ages.  The  analyses  at 
Warner  Hot  Springs  extend  nearly  as  far  back  as  those  of  Ar- 
rowhead, and  they  also  show  no  recognizable  changes. 

Third— THE  RARE  ELEMENTS.  Only  the  Arrowhead  and 
Warner  Hot  Springs  have  any  adequate  analyses  of  their  waters. 
Several  elements  indicate  that  the  waters  are  Juvenile  and  come 
from  the  depths.  The  waters  of  Arrowhead  are  radio-active. 
The  amount  of  silica  in  all  the  hot  waters,  along  the  faults,  is 
unusually  large.  At  Arrowhead  there  are  old  deposits  of  white 
siliceous  matter  near  the  "Hot  Belt"  that  have  been  deposited 
apparently  by  hot  waters  in  former  ages.  A  strong  proof  of  the 
juvenile  character  of  the  waters  is  found  in  the  presence  of  the 
rare  element  boron.  This  element  occurs  at  Arrowhead,  Mud 
Volcanoes,  San  Jacinto  and  Warner  Hot  Springs  (and  prob- 
ably will  be  found  at  the  other  springs  when  looked  for).  This 
element  is  found  in  the  hot  waters  of  volcanoes,  fumeroles  and 
magmatic  waters,  and  is  a  fair  indicator  of  juvenile  waters.  The 
arsenic  in  the  waters  and  in  the  steam  of  the  "caves"  at  Ar- 
rowhead is  another  indicator.  Lithium,  strontium,  sulphur,  and 
phosphorous,  corroborate  this  view.  The  absence  of  nitrogen, 
carb'on,  bromine,  iodine,  and  barium  are  also  evidence  that  the 
waters  are  not  vadose. 


Hot  Springs  of  Southern  California  9 

At  Elsinore,  Urbita,  Harlem  and  others,  where  the  waters  rise 
through  pipes  of  bored  wells,  the  waters  probably  ar«  mainly 
vadose,  with  some  juvenile  waters  intermingled. 

Fourth— TEMPERATURE.  The  temperature  of  ,  the  hot 
springs  comes  from  deep  in  the  earth,  from  magmas,  or,  from 
igneous  rocks  that  are  slowly  cooling.  That  the  heat  is  not 
caused  by  chemical  reactions  near  the  surface  is  evident  to  every 
chemist.  If  it  was  of  surface  origin  the  nature  of  the  waters 
would  be  entirely  different. 

The  following  shows  the  temperature  of  the  principal  hot 
springs  of  the  State,  so  far  as  I  have  accurate  records: 

Temperature  above  190  F.  Arrowhead  202;  Casa  Diablo, 
Mono  Co.,  194;  Kelleys  Hot  Springs,  Modoc  Co.,  199;  Sespe 
Creek  Hot  Springs,  Ventura  Co.,  191. 

Temperature  190  to  170  F.  Bassetts,  Lassen  Co.,  173;  Ame- 
dee,  Lassen  Co.,  172;  Tartarus,  Plumas  Co.,  170;  Isle  in  Mono 
Lake,  176. 

Temperature  170  to  140  F.  Big-  Bend,  Shasta  Co.,  165;  Stone- 
breaker,  Lassen  Co.,  166;  Castle,  Lake  Co.,  164;  Marble,  Plumas 
Co.,  161;  Klamath,  Siskiyou  Co.,  156;  Bridgeport,  Mono  Co., 
148;  Drake,  Plumas  Co.,  148;  Grover,  Alpine  Co.,  146;  Anderson, 
Lake  Co.,  146;  and  Fales,  Mono  Co.,  141. 

Temperature  140  to  110  F.  Tassajara,  Monterey  Co.,  140; 
Wilbur,  Colusa  Co.,  140;  Buckeye,  Mono  Co.,  140;  Warner,  San 
Diego  Co.,  139;  Murietta,  Riverside  Co.,  136;  Neils,  Kern  Co., 
131. 

Temperature  110  to  90  F.  Riverside  Co.;  Palm,  110;  Ritchey, 
111  ;  Elsinore,  112;  Eden,  110;  Glen  Ivy,  102;  Urbita  in  San  Ber- 
nardino Co.,  106  and  over  100  other  hot  springs  in  the  State. 

There  is  a  remarkable  uniformity  in  the  temperature  of  the 
last  springs  mentioned  when  the  fact  is  considered  that  they  all 
belong  to  the  same  topography  as  described  further  on. 

Topography  of  the  Area.  A  study  of  the  topography  of 
the  area  of  the  hot  springs  on  the  Cajon,  San  Jacinto,  Elsinore, 
and  Warner  Faults,  shows  a  remarkable  and  interesting  fact.  If 
one  draws  a  line  from  Riverside  to  San  Jacinto,  thence  south  to 
Warner,  and  thence  back  to  Elsinore  and  Riverside,  the  triangle 
formed  is  part  of  the  old  topography  that  remains  very  much  in 
the  condition  that  it  was  in  the  Tertiary  times ;  also  that  this 
area  was  at  one  time  a  part  of  the  plains  that  still  exist  on  the 


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1 2  University  of  Southern  California  Bulletin 

summit  of  the  San  Bernardino  Range.  This  explains  why  the 
temperatures  of  the  springs  on  these  plains  are  very  much  the 
same.  In  order  to  understand  why  this  ancient  topography  still 
exists  one  must  know  something  about  how  and  when  the 
Range  was  formed. 

Birth  of  the  San  Bernardino  Range.  (1)  This  range  like 
the  other  Sierras  of  the  State  was  born  at  the>  end  of  the 
Jurassic  period. 

(2)t     It  was  worn  down  by  erosion  during  succeeding  epochs. 

(3).  In  the  middle  Miocene  trouble  began  again,  the  Range 
was  again  elevated. 

(4).  In  the  late  Tertiary  the  Range  was  much  lower  than  it 
is  now.  It  was  worn  down  by  the  elements  almost  to  the  con- 
dition of  a  plane  with  isolated  peaks  jutting  up  through  the 
nearly  level  valleys.  The  topography  at  that  time  closely  re- 
sembled the  appearance  of  the  present  region  around  Ferris  that 
is  known  as  the  San  Jacinto  plains. 

(5).  The  Range  was  again  uplifted  to  its  present  form  in  the 
Sierran  epoch  at  the  beginning  of  the  Pleistocene. 

The  Range  as  a  whole  represents  a  great  block  of  the  earth 
crust  tilted  up,  like  a  great  cake  of  ice,  by  pressure  from  the 
southwest.  It  is  tilted  toward  the  Pacific  Ocean,  caused  by  a 
settling  of  the  Ocean  bottom. 

The  San  Bernardino  valley  represents  a  great  depressed  area 
south  of  the  line  of  fracture  in  the  earth's  crust. 

This  tilting  was  not  done  in  one  gigantic  catastrophe,  but  the 
growth  was  a  gradual  process,  the  movement  was  gentle,  a  few 
inches  or,  at  the  most,  a  few  feet  from  time  to  time.  The  cumu- 
lative effect  being  a  mountain  range  where  originally  were  only 
broad  plains. 

A  Young  Mountain.  Mt.  San  Bernardino  is  younger  than 
the  San  Gabriel  mountains.  If  one  stands  on  Santiago  Peak  and 
looks  the  landscape  over,  he  will  see  an  abundance  of  evidence. 

There  are  no  horizontal  lines  along  the  San  Gabriel  tops,  but 
a  confusion  of  peaks. 

But  the  younger  range  has  a  long  even  skyline  at  an  elevation 
of  50CO  to  6000  feet  and  the  "Rim  of  the  World  Road"  has  taken 
advantage  of  it.  The  San  Gabriel  mountains  are  a  labyrinth  of 
canyons,  ridges  and  peaks  without  level  areas  of  any  size  or 
streams  that  are  even  graded.  San  Bernardino  has  many  wide 
upland  valleys,  grass  glades,  lakes  and  plazas.  Their  very 
names  are  suggestive  of  enjoyment  to  lovers  of  nature  as:  Bear 
Valley,  Green  Valley,  Fawnskin  Valley,  Monarch  Flat,  Pine  Flat, 
Strawberry  Flat,  the  Meadows  and  a  score  of  others. 

The  topograhpy  is  rounded  and  gentle,  the  level  areas  are  ex- 


Hot  Springs  of  Southern  California  1  3 

tensive,  the  streams  meander  placidly  through  broad  meadows ; 
and  the  uplands  look  4ike  a  rolling  country  of  moderate  eleva- 
tion rather  than  summit  lands.  As  the  edge  of  these  interest- 
ing uplands  is  approached  the  streams  plunge  into  deep  and 
narrow  canyons.  The  slopes  are  steep.  The  roads  and  trails 
have  to  wind  and  twist  and  use  switchbacks  to  find  a  way  to  the 
bench  below. 


CROSS  SECTION  NORTH  AND  SOUTH 

A.  San  Bernardino  Range 

B.  San  Bernardino  Valley,  or  Cucamonga   Plains 

C.  Perris  Valley,  or  San  Jacinto  Plains 

D.  Mojave  Valley 

e.  Sea  Level 

f.  Fault  Lines 

Ancient  Topography.  All  of  these  facts  have  a  definite 
meaning.  The  upland  smooth  forms  are  remnants  of  the  land- 
scape of  the  Tertiary  times  when  this  area  was  a  low  mountain 
plain.  These  fragments  of  the  ancient  topography  are  still  pre- 
served practically  in  the  condition  in  which  they  existed  prior 
to  the  present  elevation.  The  smooth  uplands  were  produced  by 
long  erosion  at  lower  levels  before  the  Range  was  re-elevated 
in  the  Pleistocene. 

When  the  crustal  block  tilted  and  was  shoved  upward  and 
pressed  against  the  northern  edge,  these  upward  areas  simply 
arose  to  a  higher  station  in  life.  As  the  tilted  block  slopes  to 
the  south,  the  main  watershed  is  to  the  south  also. 

A  Sunken  Valley.  When  this  block  was  tilted,  forming 
this  Range,  another  block  to  the  south  slipped  downward, 
forming  a  valley,  the  bottom  of  which  was  below  sea  level.  This 
is  now  known  as  the  San  Bernardino  Valley,  or  Cucamonga 
plains. 

The  erosion  of  the  sloping  side  of  the  Range  has  filled  the 
valley  to  a  depth  of  probably  3000  feet,  so  that  the  city  of  San 
Bernardino  stands  1200  feet  above  sea  level. 

Part  of  San  Jacinto  Plains,  Perris  Valley  now  so  widely 
separated  geographically  and  in  elevation,  once  formed  a  con- 


1 4  University  of  Southern  California  Bulletin 

tinuous  surface  with  the  uplands  of  the  mountain  summit;  and 
the  sunken  Cucamonga  Plains  was  a  part  of  the  same  surface. 

In  the  changes  that  took  place  along  the  fault  line  the  Ferris 
Valley  was  raised  slightly ;  the  San  Bernardino  Range  was  raised 
much  more ;  and  the  San  Bernardino  valley  sank  until  portions 
of  it  were  below  sea  level. 

Other  Crustal  Changes.  Many  other  crustal  movements 
occur  along  this  remarkable  fault  line  that  are  important  and 
worthy  of  study.  For  example,  a  crustal  movement  lifted  a 
ridge  of  an  irregular  arched  wrinkle,  along  the  line  of  the  "Bad 
Lands"  which  separate  San  Timoteo  Canyon  from  the  San  Ja- 
cinto  Valley.  This  fold  can  be  traced  on  the  surface  to  Bunker 
Hill.  It  exposed  the  beds  containing  rare  fossils  of  the  same 
animals  as  those  of  Rancho  La  Brea,  these  beds  are  just  north 
of  Eden  Hot  Springs.  This  fold  also  is  an  important  factor 
affecting  artesian  wells  around  San  Bernardino. 

The  Age  of  the  Hot  Springs.  The  waters  of  the  Arrowhead 
Hot  Springs,  and  of  others  on  these  fault  lines,  began  to  flow 
soon  after  the  fissures  were  formed.  In  other  words  the  hot 
springs  are  as  old  as  the  San  Bernardino  Range  itself.  That 
means  that  the  hot  springs  are  older  than  Niagara  Falls,  older 
than  the  Pyramids  of  Egypt,  older  than  the  Big  Trees  of  the 
Yosemite,  and  older  than  the  aboriginal  Cave-man.  They  are 
just  as  permanent  as  the  mountain  itself. 

This  brief  summary  of  a  study  of  the  origin  of  some  of  the 
hot  springs  of  southern  California  suggests  that  the  geologic 
study  of  all  the  hot  springs  of  the  State  should  be  made  for  the 
benefit  of  the  people. 

It    also    suggests    a    re-arrangement    of    the    usual    classifica- 
tions, extending  them  and  making  them  more  useful  as : — 
FIRST — The  geologic  origin  of  the  springs. 
SECOND — The  physical  nature  of  the  waters. 
THIRD— The  chemical  composition  of  the  waters. 
FOURTH— The  therapeutical  value. 

A  summary  of  this  kind  would  make  clear  what  Nature  has 
done.  What  man  has  done  in  the  way  of  accommodations  or 
attractions  to  persons  seeking  health  is  important,  but  it  is 
really  subordinate  to  the  proven  value  of  the  waters.  A  patient 
seeking  health  should  know  the  relative  value  of  the  different 
waters.  Such  a  clasification  as  proposed  would  bring  out  all 
of  the  facts,  and  the  value  of  the  waters  could  be  seen  at  a 
glance. 


Hot  Springs  of  Southern  California  15 

Geologic  Facts.  The  ^classification  should  start  with  a 
geologic  study  of  the  area  around  the  springs ;  and  the  first 
thing  to  study  is  the  FAULT  LINES  or  fissures  from  which 
the  springs  issue. 


A  CLASSIFICATION  OF  HOT  SPRINGS 


First:    GEOLOGY 

A.  Relation  to  FAULT  LINE. 

1.  On  or  near  a  fault. 

2.  Not  near  fault. 

B.  IN    LAVA,     (a)   Showing    deposits,     (b)   No    deposits. 

C.  LAVA  NEAR  BY.     (a)  Deposits,     (b)   No  deposits. 

1.  In  granite. 

2.  In  metamorphic  rocks. 

3.  In  altered  sediments. 

4.  In  unaltered  sediments. 

D.  NO  LAVA  NEAR  BY.     (a)  Deposits,     (b)  No  deposits. 
1.     In  granite.     2.     Metamorphic  rock.     3.     Altered   sedi- 
ments.   4.   Unaltered. 


Second:     PHYSICAL 

1.  Temperature,     (a)  Hot.     (b)  Cold. 

2.  Juvenile  waters. 

3.  Vadose  waters. 

4.  Intermediate  waters. 


Third:     CHEMICAL  COMPOSITION 
1.  Saline.     2.  Carbonated.     3.  Alkaline.    4.     Mixed  type. 

Fourth:    MEDICAL  VALUE 


1 6  University  of  Southern  California  Bulletin 

DEFECTIVE  ANALYSES 

The  U.  S.  Government  in  a  recent  Bulletin  on  the  Springs 
had  to  recalculate  nearly  every  analysis,  and  reject  many  be- 
cause of  their  evident  unreliability. 

The  ordinary  "commercial  analysis"  of  the  waters  gives  the 
results  as  so  many  "grains  per  gallon"  of  combined  salts;  such 
as  sodium  sulphate  for  example.  Such  an  analysis  is  really  untrue 
and  .misleading  and  obsolete.  Chemistry  now  shows  that  there 
is  not  only  no  proof  that  these  combinations  are  present  as 
"combinations"  at  all;  but  offers  proof  to  the  contrary.  In 
fact,  recording  an  analysis  in  this  form  is  purely  hypothetical 
guess  work,  and  in  all  probability  untrue  and  misleading.  Such 
analyses  are  rejected  by  the  Government  and  all  chemical  socie- 
ties. They  are  sop  to  the  ignorant.  They  are  of  value  to  only 
the  Doctor  who  "never  cared  for  chemistry  anyhow." 

Why  not  educate  the  public  in  the  mysteries  concealed  in  a 
drop  of  water,  and  tell  him  something  about  the  mysterious 
forces  hidden  there. 

The  only  up-to-date  analysis  is  the  one  giving  the  "ions" 
in  parts  per  million.  If  the  Doctor  is  himself,  "up-to-date"  he 
can  then  judge  of  the  true  value  of  the  waters. 

The  ordinary  analysis  only  recognizes  that  which  may  be 
precipitated  and  weighed  in  quantity  on  the  balances.  It  leaves 
out  everything  else  to  be  reported  as  a  "trace." 

These  "traces"  may  be  the  very  thing  that  gives  the  waters 
special  value  for  healing,  the  true  sources  of  the  mysterious 
power  over  certain  disorders. 

For  example  the  "arsenic  acid"  radicle  found  at  Arrowhead 
Hot  Springs.  This  is  present  only  in  0.435  parts  per  million  ; 
(or  to  use  the  purely  hypothetical  form  and  say  that  it  is  com- 
bined with  sodium ;  "sodium  di  arsenate,  0.034  grains  per  gal- 
lon). These  figures  may  be  thought  insignificant,  only  0.435 
parts  in  one  million  parts.  Not  at  all.  The  French  Govern- 
ment took  over  the  arsenic  spring  of  France  at  La  Bourboule 
in  the  valley  of  Dordogne  on  account  of  its  special  value  in 
many  diseases ;  yet  the  amount  present  there,  is  almost  the 
same  as  in  the  California  spring.  The  "traces"  may  be  more 
valuable  than  the  minerals  present  in  quantity. 

The  spectroscope  will  recognize  all  of  the  "traces"  and  point 
out  the  way  to  prove  their  presence  by  other  methods.  How 
many  resorts  have  taken  the  trouble  to  have  their  waters 
studied  with  a  spectroscope? 

The  governments  of  Europe  recognized  the  value  of  this 
class  of  work  long  ago;  for  example,  at  Carlsbad  the  govern- 
ment gives  the  list  of  "ions"  present  as  follows :  Chlorine, 
sulphur,  sodium,  potassium,  magnesium,  fluorine,  boron,  phos- 


Hot  Springs  of  Southern  California  1  7 

phorous,  selenium,  tellurium,  rhubidium,  caesium,  arsenic,  anti- 
mony, zinc,  lithium,  strontium,  calcium,  barium,  iron,  man- 
ganese, aluminum,  and  silicon.  Only  a  few  are  present  in 
weighable  quantity  or  would  have  been  recognized  in  a  "com- 
mercial" analysis;  but  who  can  tell  what  power  lies  in  these 
"traces."  It  is  also  of  interest  to  some  that  the  waters  of 
Arrowhead  in  our  own  state  resemble  in  many  ways  those  of 
Carlsbad. 

The  analysis  of  the  Carlsbad  water  and  other  famous  waters 
emphasizes  the  futility  of  any  "drug  store"  imitation  or  other 
counterfeit  of  any  mineral  springs  waters. 

Radio-activity  has  just  come  into  its  own.  It  cannot  be 
caught  in  a  test  tube,  or  seen  by  the  microscope.  The  elec- 
troscope will  however  measure  accurately  the  few  trillion ths 
of  one  percent  that  exist  in  a  pound  of  rock  or  in  a  gallon  of 
water.  This  delicate  instrument  has  revealed  the  presence  of 
radium  in  fresh  fallen  snow,  in  soils  and  in  a  hundred  other 
unexpected  places.  It  has  been  found  in  the  Geysers  of  the 
Yellowstone  Park,  in  the  Hot  Springs  of  Arkansas;  and  in  the 
Hot  Springs  and  Natural  Steam  Caves  of  Arrowhead.  A  few 
years  ago  a  "few  trillionths  of  1  percent"  would  have  been 
ignored.  Today  a  Radium  Institute  and  Hospital  richly  endowed 
is  being  built  here  in  Los  Angeles. 

Helium,  the  new  gas  that  will  not  burn  nor  explode,  and 
which  is  revolutionizing  the  science  of  ballooning,  was  discov- 
ered in  1888  in  the  Sun  by  the  spectroscope.  It  was  found  years 
later  in  uranium  ore.  Now  it  is  separated  from  the  other 
natural  gasses  at  the  U.  S.  Government  plant  at  Fort  Worth, 
Texas,  from  the  Petrolia  oil  fields. 

It  is  of  interest  from  the  fact  that  when  Radium  breaks. down 
into  emanations  the  other  substance  that  is  formed  is  Helium. 
It  is  now  known  to  exist  in  springs,  volcanoes,  and  natural  gas 
wells  and  probably  exists  at  Arrowhead  and  other  springs. 
Nitrogen  exists  in  vast  quantities  in  the  atmosphere  as  an  inert 
gas  which  will  not  combine  with  anything  except  by  special 
means.  Who  can  predict  what  new  forces  will  be  revealed 
when  the  secret  of  combined  Helium  is  solved?  Who  can  say 
now  what  part  it  plays  in  the  mineral  waters? 

I  wish  to  emphasize  the  necessity  of  scientific  analyses  of 
the  waters  of  our  Springs  using  every  means  of  research  avail- 
able, balances,  spectroscope,  microscope,  electroscope  and  any 
other  means  available. 

RARE  ELEMENTS.  It  is  necessary  to  look  for  and 
identify  the  rare  elements  especially  in  California,  for  the 
geologic  evidence  is  that  they  exist  in  unusual  quantity.  The 


1 8  University  of  Southern  California  Bulletin 

gem  mines  of  Riverside  and  San  Diego  counties  are  also  found 
along  the  fault  lines  in  the  southern  part  of  the  State  and 
contain  many  of  the  rare  elements.  Lithium,  berrylium,  caesium, 
rhubidium,  and  a  score  of  others  have  been  found,  some  of 
them  in  notable  quantity.  The  occurrence  of  large  quantities  01 
boron,  fluorine,  selenium,  strontium,  tellurium,  arsenic,  chro- 
mium, zirconium  and  others,  in  commercial  quantity  is  familiar 
to  you  all. 

In  all  probability  the  minerals  reported  present  in  any  spring 
wajer  falls  far  short  of  the  number  that  are  really  present, 
The  key  to  finding  the  rare  elements  is  found  in  studying  the 
geologic  origin  of  the  spring. 

ORDINARY  ADVERTISING.  Resorts  spend  large  sums 
in  talking  about  location,  scenery,  society,  boulevard,  golf,  tennis 
and  the  "table."  They  exert  themselves  to  secure  some  famous 
Admiral,  General,  Aviator  or  Hero  of  the  Movies,  or  other 
Lion  of  the  Hour  as  a  guest.  That  is  right  and  proper  in  its 
way;  but  why  stop  there?  It  is  NOT  up  to-date  advertising. 

THE  HOT  SPRINGS  OF  CALIFORNIA  ARE  ONE  OF 
THE  BIG  ASSETS  OF  THE  STATE.  Why  not  advertise  that 
fact  in  a  way  to  carry  conviction?  Why  not  PROVE  IT  in 
such  a  way  that  the  World  will  "sit  up  and  take  notice." 

NOW  IS  THE  TIME,  for  travel  to  the  Springs  of  Europe 
will  be  hampered  for  the  next  few  years. 

When  the  Public  realize  the  facts  and  know  that  they  are 
the  facts,  the  crowds  that  spend  millions  abroad  will  turn  to 
this  State. 

UP-TO-DATE  ADVERTISING.  Every  reader  of  the 
leading  magazines  has  noticed  a  radical  change  in  the  adver- 
tizing of  the  big  men,  the  leaders.  They  now  use  the  printer's 
ink  to  educate  the  people.  They  secure  their  confidence  and 
respect  by  showing  all  their  processes;  by  telling  exactly  what 
they  do  and  why.  It  is  not  sufficient  to  say  "these  goods  are 
the  best"  for  the  people  say,  "prove  it,"  "explain  it  to  me  so 
that  I  may  understand."  The  Big  Men  realize  that  their  cus- 
tomers are  quick  to  pick  up  the  good  points,  and  that  a  satisfied 
customer  first  becomes  a  friend  and  then  a  booster. 

Why  not  apply  this  principle  in  advertizing  the  Hot  Springs? 

Take  the  people  into  your  confidence.  Tell  them  all  about 
the  origin  of  the  water.  Explain  the  difference  in  origin  of 
the  waters.  Explain  the  methods  of  finding  out  the  truth. 
Explain  what  are  the  essential  facts  and  why.  Do  this  without 
fear  or  favor. 


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